Generally, the industry of semiconductor manufacturing involves highly complex techniques for fabricating integrated circuits (IC) using semiconductor materials which are layered and patterned onto a substrate, such as silicon. Due to the large scale of circuit integration and the decreasing size of IC features in semiconductor devices, fabricated devices have become increasingly sensitive to defects. That is, defects which cause faults in devices are becoming increasingly smaller. Devices need to be generally fault free prior to shipment to the end users or customers.
Various inspection systems are used within the semiconductor industry to detect defects on a semiconductor reticle or wafer. However, there is a continuing demand for improved semiconductor reticle and wafer inspection systems and techniques.